


Fill In the Blanks

by Basuralindo



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Fluff, M/M, Malec, relationship building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basuralindo/pseuds/Basuralindo
Summary: Essentially my headcanon dump for the Malec scenes that I didn't get to see in the books. In no particular order. Pure self indulgence.It's going to be short chapters and irregular updates as the mood strikes me, I hope you enjoy anyway!





	1. The Morning After Abbadon

         Alec woke achy and confused. His head was throbbing, so much so that he almost didn’t notice the pain in his chest and leg. It took him several minutes to actually process his surroundings. He was lying on his back, looking up at a high arched ceiling with a familiar mural. The infirmary. He shut his eyes again as the memories of yesterday -at least he hoped in was only yesterday, and not longer- came creeping back to him.

         First came the shame as he recalled all the big talk, trying to impress Jace, trying to prove he could fight with the rest of them instead of hiding behind the long range of a bow. He’d been acting like an idiot. Then came the memory of the demon swinging at Jace, and of its claws tearing into his own flesh. It was hard to remember much beyond that, there was light, concerned faces, the sulfuric stench of a banished demon… Did everyone survive? How did  _ he _ survive?

         He sat upright, or tried to. The end result was a painful lurch that left him gasping as his head roiled and his ribs screamed in protest. 

         Something moved by his shoulder.

         More carefully this time, he turned his head to the side. At first all he saw was a shimmery black mass. He had to scoot gingerly back on the narrow bed before he recognized the gelled hair of Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, who was inexplicably slumped against the edge of his mattress. 

         Alec’s movement seemed to wake him. Magnus raised his head and for a moment looked just as confused as Alec felt. He blinked from behind smudged makeup, rubbed at a reddening indent where a ring had pressed into his cheek, and finally bolted upright in his chair.

         “I see you're awake.” He managed nonchalantly, fixing his makeup with a snap of his fingers and reaching up to check his hair. He adjusted the motion to fiddle with an ear cuff instead, not quite making eye contact. “Excellent. How are you feeling?”

         The noise made Alec wince, raking through his skull with a white heat. He was startled by the feeling of fingers pressing gently against his forehead, then moving to his temples. Alec couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes on account of the pain, but he could feel warmth at the points of contact, a sensation like fire without the burning licked against his skin. Soon enough the pain eased, then disappeared almost entirely, giving way to a soothing numbness. When he opened his eyes again it was to the sight of Magnus withdrawing his hands, blue sparks still dancing across his ornamented fingers.

         “Thank you.” Alec mumbled through dry lips. His body still ached, but with the pain in his head gone he was able sit up with some effort. 

         “Don't mention it.” Magnus smiled thinly, running his gaze over Alec's chest before turning away to smooth out his own sleep-tousled clothes. Realizing that he was shirtless apart from bandages, Alec pulled the sheets further up and searched for clothing. He didn't find any. What he did find was that the room was completely empty aside from himself and the warlock.

         “Where is everyone? Are they alright? Did-”

         “They're fine.” Magnus soothed. “Everyone came out of that with minimal injury except for you, who was on the brink of death, I'd like to point out.”

         “Then where are they?” He repeated in partial delirium, and squinted at Magnus. “... Why are you here?”

         Magnus rolled his eyes. “Your sister is probably in the kitchen cooking something horrific, and I-” He snapped his fingers for emphasis, materializing a pair of heated croissants and coffees. “-am sparing you.” When Alec continued to stare his smile wilted slightly. “...As well as nursing you back to health. Brink of death and all that.”

         Alec flushed. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't stop it. “You healed me?” A sense of panic started to set in when Magnus nodded. “Have you been payed? How much do I owe you? I-”

         “Free of charge.”

         “What?”

         Magnus chuckled a little at his expression. “Oh just... think of it as a promotional discount.”

         Alec shook his head. “No. You saved my life.”

         “I'm feeling charitable.”

         “Warlocks don't do anything for free, ”  He insisted. “I know that. What do I owe you?”

         Magnus rolled his eyes again and leaned back into his seat with a resentful glare. “Well, you really are a Lightwood after all.” He considered Alec for a long moment before a mischievous glint struck his eye. “Fine then. Let's see…” 

         He fiddled with a ring on one hand and tapped his fingers against the chair's arm with the other while he thought, looking surprisingly regal. Alec caught himself staring. Makeup and jewelry had a different effect on Magnus than he would have expected, not like when girls wore it. It  _ was _ still pretty, just… pretty in a way he could actually appreciate for once. Magnus’ voice snapped him out of the thought. “How about your number?”

         Alec blinked. “Excuse me?”

         “Your phone number. That’s my price.”

         “What? No! That’s not even a real-”

         “Ah-ah!” Magnus chided, wagging a glittering finger and grinning wickedly. “I saved your life remember? I can charge whatever I damn well please, and I won’t settle for anything else. With the stipulation of you swearing to answer my calls, of course.”

         He huffed a little at Alec’s dumbfounded silence. “ _ I’d _ say it’s a pretty good deal, considering my usual rates.”

         Alec had to fight back a stutter when he finally found his voice. Skepticism and fear made him unsure of what he was hearing, “Why?” was all he managed.

         Magnus made a flippant gesture. “Well it’s become  painfully clear that you weren’t planning to call me…”

         “You mean you were serious? At the party?”

         “What? Obviously!” Magnus shot him an incredulous look. “Why wouldn’t I have been serious?”

         Alec dropped his gaze, feeling his face go hot at the memory. The stutter returned full force just to make things worse. “I-I don’t know, y-you- you seemed…”

         “Okay so I was a little drunk.” Magnus admitted. “...And perhaps a few other forms of intoxicated. But I am always serious when it comes to flirting.” He tossed his head emphatically, cracking a smile when he saw Alec’s blush intensify. “So, phone number it is. I hate being the one to wait on a call.”

         Alec couldn’t form words. He tried, but all he managed was unintelligible stammering. Finally Magnus pressed the end a pen to his lips, silencing him with a peep. “Here just write it down.” He instructed, passing the pen along with a slip of paper.

         He caught Alec’s fingers when he passed paper back, planting a light kiss to the back of his hand. “So you know to pick up.” He murmured, dropping a wink before turning to leave. He opened the doors with a wave of his hand, and continued to speak as he walked away. “I’ll leave aftercare instructions with your sister. Don’t forget the stipulation!”

         The heavy doors swung shut behind him, leaving Alec crimson and stupefied, staring at his hand. The warlock hadn’t been wearing lipstick this time, but a mark remained where he’d kissed. The initials M.B. and a ten-digit number, written in blue ink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean shit they never did tell us how they got each other's numbers. It was bothering me.


	2. Send Me a Kiss By Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this one isn't actually a blank that needed filling, it was just an idea bouncing around in my head that I figured I could fit into this work. It's a dorky concept, but here you go. Set somewhere between Abbadon and the hickey incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe someday I'll post a chapter of this fic that wasn't written during a headache, but today is not that day. I feel like my brain is going to bubble up and spill out my ears, so if nothing makes sense that's why. Have some fluff.

         Alec twirled a pen across paper, leaving little sweeps and whorls of ink. He wouldn't have called it drawing, maybe doodles at best. Just a mindless action to pass the time. He was too high strung for sleep, but still too sleepy for anything productive, so he'd gathered some scrap paper and was lying in bed scribbling aimless filigree.

         One way or another the doodles kept forming into Magnus’ name.

         Alec crumpled up another one and shoved it aside to join a small pile of previous mishaps. It was nearing 3am now, his eyes were sore, but sleep still wouldn't come. Nights like this had been happening more and more often, when he just couldn't get his mind to settle. He used to rely on Hodge’s tisanes for help, but that hadn’t been an option recently. The worst part was knowing that even if he did manage to find sleep in this condition it would only lead to nightmares.

         Isabelle thought it was anxiety. Not that he'd told her too many details, but with her he didn't really have to. She had a knack for close guesses.

         He really didn't know if she was right, but it was true that his thoughts were overrun with  fears  and worries. Magnus somehow managed to be both and a comfort all at once. Maybe that's why Alec couldn't get him out of his head this night.

         He caught himself drawing a slit-pupiled eye over the letter M and threw down his pen. This was stupid. He remembered catching his sister writing boys’ names in little hearts when she was younger, and he'd always thought that was stupid. Now apparently he was just as bad. He was going to have to find a new way to kill time if this kept up.

         A knock on the door startled him into a panic. Whoever it might be, having them find doodles of another man's name scattered all over his bed was the last thing  he wanted.

         “Just a second!” Alec called, gathering the paper scraps into a pile and for lack of a better idea drawing an incendiary rune over the whole thing. He made sure it was fully burned up before approaching the door, frantically scrubbing the thoughts of Magnus from his mind as though whoever was on the other side might be able to see them there.

 

***

         Magnus was having a late night to himself, a drama playing on the TV and a drink in hand. He toyed with the idea of giving Alec a call, just to hear that endearing little grouchy mumble he did when he got woken up. And maybe just a bit out of revenge for not calling in three days. Even his texts had been few and far between, Magnus was starting to feel ignored.

         Alec _ did _ say that he'd been busy lately, and what with all the recent Valentine drama it was understandable, but it couldn't have hurt him to try a little harder. He shook his head. It was true that in the current state of things Alec wasn't exactly boyfriend material, but then again Magnus hadn't been either, once upon a time. One never knew what could change with a little time and effort.

         Just in time to disrupt his train of thought, Magnus heard the tiny  _ fwip _ of air rushing inward to a flame. A little ember materialized in front of him, slowly growing into a torn sheet of paper. He squinted at the message, if you could even call it that, it was a swirling inky scribble. He could make out a cat's eye, and.. His name?

         - _ Fwip _ \- There was another one, then another. 

         - _ Fwip _ \- - _ fwip _ \- - _ fwip _ \- - _ fwip _ \- 

         Magnus looked up at the small swarm of embers that were gathering around his head, baffled but delighted. Each note contained a fanciful pattern, or a half drawn image, and Magnus’ name in illuminated fonts.

         “Who on earth…?” He muttered to himself, looking through the paper scraps. They were all different sizes, most looked like they'd been crumpled up, and his name was often incomplete. On a couple it was even cut short and scratched out. There were bits and pieces of other writing too, also worked into the doodles, but nothing particularly coherent. 

         One of the notes depicted an abstract snail. Written along the curve of its spiraling shell was the mantra  _ cantsleepcantsleepcantsleepcant…  _ Which could explain the general incomprehensibility of the messages, but there was no indication of who wrote them.

          He ran a thumb over the drawing thoughtfully. The papers smelled of aged oak, and stone, and… and Alec. Magnus smiled as understandings clicked into place. Who else could it possibly be but his Alexander, with those insomnia bruised eyes? Who else was so terrified of their own feelings that they would have tried to burn the evidence. These must have been an accident. In some sleep deprived delirium he must have been trying to hide them from his family, and sent them as fire messages instead. Now they belonged to Magnus, little drawings and all.

         He gathered the notes into a neat pile, still grinning. They were indisputable proof that Alec thought of him, even when he was acting distant, and Magnus was going to keep them forever. If he had needed a sign to keep trying for this relationship, here it was.

         Though he would probably never tell Alec what happened, he now knew when the boy had free time. Maybe he could provide a more interesting way to pass all those sleepless nights.

 

***

         Alec tried to get Isabelle to leave before checking the text. He’d heard it go off, and he’d seen on her face how badly she wanted to know who it was from, so he made sure to shoo her out before she could start insisting. 

         “Look, I'm fine. I'll go to sleep okay?” He promised as he pushed her out the door.

         “I don't believe you.” She accused, wedging it open with her foot so she could glare at him through the crack. “Who are you texting at three in the morning?”

         “I'm not texting anyone. Someone texted me.”

         “Is it Magnus?” She shoved the door further open to peek her head back in.

         “Good _ night _ Izzy.”

         She laughed as he finally forced her out and locked the door, calling out for him to get some sleep one last time before leaving. Only after her footsteps had disappeared down the hall did he open his phone.

         The text was from Magnus, just one concise message: 

         <( Let me take you out to dinner soon. <3 )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is in reference to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkfU1JqmkHM). Picture Magnus doing that skit. You'e welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Questions? Comments? Disgruntled exclamations? Fic related art requests? Come hit me up @[basuralindo.tumblr.com](https://basuralindo.tumblr.com/)! I'd love to hear from you. Sincerely, I feed on attention.


End file.
